News Releases

EPA Grant Empowers Denver Community to be Energy Efficient

(Denver, Colo. – March 24, 2009) A grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help Denver’s low-income Latino immigrant community reduce energy consumption and learn about ways to reduce their environmental footprint. The grant was awarded today under EPA's Environmental Justice Small Grants program.

"Colorado's minority and low-income communities need support as they develop the capacity to respond to human health and environmental issues," said Art Palomares, Director of EPA's Environmental Justice program in Denver. "This grant will help the community better understand the potential impacts of climate change and will support efforts to reduce utility bills and greenhouse gas emissions."

Groundwork Denver received $20,000 from EPA to address environmental justice issues likely to result from climate change impacts in the future by focusing on actions that build a healthy community today and are authorized under the Clean Air Act and the Solid Waste Disposal Act. The goal of the project is to empower the low-income Latino immigrant community to reduce air pollution and properly dispose of household toxic substances while providing comprehensive education on mitigating and adapting to the potential future environmental and public health impacts of climate change.

EPA established the Environmental Justice Small Grants program in 1994 to support and empower communities that are working on local solutions to local environmental and/or public health issues. The grants are designed to assist recipients in building collaborative partnerships that will help them understand and address the environmental and/or public health issues in their communities.